Tarnished Blades
by Stormsworder
Summary: A series of short Guild Wars stories covering my gang of characters and their adventure in the world of Tyria. With the Great Destroyer defeated, a new threat looms on the horizon: a civil war in the land of Kryta that calls heroes away from their rest. Complete.
1. War in Kryta

_This is Kryta._

_It's a land of palm trees and white sand beaches, of fertile earth and wholesome folk. A visitor passing through might think Kryta a land of peace and ease. _

_But if that visitor were to linger a while, they'd soon notice fear in the eyes of the farmers and hear whispered dissent in taverns. For Kryta is a troubled land._

_Hiding in the jungles and among the populace, the Shining Blade rebel movement has grown increasingly bold in their attacks against the White Mantle, the ostensible leaders of Kryta. No doubt the royalist rebels are taking advantage of the relative weakness of the White Mantle after the recent deaths of their entire High Council._

_But the White Mantle is not to be underestimated. They have rallied under new leadership – the stern hand of Confessor Isaiah – and their Inquisitors scour the land, hunting for rebels._

_I am Murro, a humble historian and scribe. It is my duty to bear witness to these momentous events and report what I see with honesty. Over the coming weeks I intend to do just that, in these War Chronicles._

_~Murro_

Murmurs filled Dakutu Village, the hidden base of operations for the Shining Blade rebels. Even with the head of the White Mantle decapitated, its serpentine body still strangled the life from the common folk who lived in fear of the powerful organization that enforced worship of its false gods, the "Unseen Ones".

But the Shining Blade knew the truth. These gods were nothing more than a powerful race of spellcasters, and now they were all but exterminated due to events a few years ago with the fulfillment of the Flameseeker Prophecies. A few stragglers still remained, but there were only sparse reports of any Blades spotting these foes.

"Your Highness, something must be done! The Peacekeepers are terrorizing the people! Only yesterday, Inquisitor Bauer was seen in the Ascalon settlement harassing the refugees!"

A beautiful young woman, clad in a blue-dyed and modified uniform of the Shining Blade, brushed a strand of her short auburn hair from her face. The deep blue gem of her headband captured the rays of the sun, glinting just slightly. Princess Salma, the heir to the Krytan throne, gazed at the infuriated leader of the Shining Blade. She understood his anger, as she felt it kindle within herself. "Peace, Bartholos… We have already sent Evennia and Livia to appeal to the Ebon Vanguard and the Asurans. For now, there is little we can do but wait and bide our time until our allies gather."

"I beg your pardon, but… I believe that the time for action is very near. The Peacekeepers have grown bolder in their actions against the people, but some of our allies from Ascalon, Cantha, and Elona have decided to strike at the Peacekeepers however they can as they travel the land. Even the Chosen who vanquished the Titans and the Lich Lord have returned to lend their assistance to the Krytan people." Bartholos folded his arms, the metal of his gauntlets rubbing together. "The recruits may not be as well-trained as many other Blades, but with the aid that is soon coming, we should finally have the strength to strike at the Mantle once and for all."

Salma sighed softly, briefly closing her eyes and sending a silent prayer to Dwayna that she was making the right decision. If they moved too soon, this ran the risk of failing, but if she waited too long, there was no telling how many lives would be lost and what kind of damage the White Mantle would do. Already several farms had been burned down across the country, and innocents had been tortured and killed due to false accusations from greedy neighbors hungry for a profit and the land of the ones they reported.

_But this must be done… this tyranny can continue no longer. It is time for the Shining Blade to come out of hiding and for me to take my place as heir to the Krytan throne. _

"Very well, Bartholos. It is time after all. I will issue a proclamation, but I need your scouts to issue a summons to the heroes of Tyria. They will be essential allies to have with us when it is time to march on Lion's Arch." As Bartholos saluted and went to confer with the two Master Scouts, Princess Salma raised her gaze to the sky. "Dwayna, protect us all… and Balthazar, steady our swords. In this time of war, remember your favored servant Doric and guide us safely as we reclaim the throne for his line."

War had finally been declared in Kryta.

_I, Princess Salma, daughter of King Jadon and Priestess Berea, and Heir to the Throne of Kryta, call upon all good Krytans to rise up against the Villainy of the White Mantle. For too long, they have ruled us with campaigns of secrecy and terror, and it shames me to say we've let them do it. They derive their power from dark magic, sacrificing countless Krytan lives, yet never sating the foul appetites of their demonic masters._

_But their time is at an end! The unseen demons lie decimated while the White Mantle Council itself is shattered. Today, the Shining Blade strikes as the sword of Vengeance, ready to dismember the White Mantle until nothing is left. Stand with us and we will see Freedom and Justice reign once more in Kryta._

_It is time to expose the charlatans who usurped the Krytan throne for what they are: cultists, murderers, demon-worshippers. The White Mantle priests do not lie when they speak of devotion to powerful, unseen beings, but these slippery creatures are not gods. They are demons._

_White Mantle rituals have always worn the cloak of secrecy, and now we know why. Rituals intended to select "Chosen" individuals for special duties within the White Mantle were an unforgivable Lie! And buying into that Lie were our children, our brothers and sisters, our mothers and fathers, poor naive souls marching deep into the Maguuma Jungle where they would Witness first-hand the Evil of the Unseen demons. These Innocents were Murdered and given in Blood Sacrifice to the so-called gods of the White Mantle. They derive all power from this foul wellspring of dark magic._

_For too long, this story has festered, hidden at the heart of the jungle and lost in the death cries of the helpless. Fortunately for Kryta, some blessed few survivors have escaped to tell the tale. It is a tale of evil, a tale of betrayal. It is an ugly Truth that all of us must now face. _


	2. Hunted

Foliage whipped at her face as she dashed through the dense cluster of trees, the sound of her heartbeat pounding in her ears. It drowned out even the clamor of the men and women who chased after her, despite the brutes who barreled through anything in their path. Her long brown hair flowed behind her as she ran, her right hand pushing up the slim spectacles she wore as she cast a backwards glance over her shoulder at the ones in pursuit.

Peacekeepers.

They were bloodthirsty bandits hired on by the White Mantle to deal with the troublesome freedom fighters that were the Shining Blade. However, they were anything but peaceful, harassing innocent villagers and threatening her fellow Ascalonians who had created a refugee settlement not far from Lion's Arch. Too many times had she overheard reports of the brigands inspecting wagons of goods and taking valuable goods as "tithes for passage", sometimes robbing others of everything but the clothes on their back. It was when she had found the beaten, bloodied body of a woman who had apparently lacked any sort of payment for the bandits that she had been set off.

It was a foolish choice to try and hand out justice on her own, she knew that before she even began and especially now when they had her on the run. She had underestimated their strength and numbers, the hunter quickly becoming the hunted. As she sprinted with as much speed that she could manage, she reached behind her to her quiver with her right hand, pulling out an arrow. In one fluid move she had notched it on her steel Deldrimor longbow and spun, letting it fly before turning and continuing her escape. She didn't see the impact but heard the gurgling shout of one of the brigands as the arrowhead pierced the flesh of his throat. An arrow whizzed by her face in retaliation, drawing blood and causing her heart to race even faster. Apparently their marksmen were better than she anticipated.

She vaulted over a fallen log, tearing through more branches just in front of her and finally breaking out of the dense copse of trees… only to find herself staring at the rough stone of a cliff directly in front of her, towering over her by a few feet. She didn't slow down in her run, leaping up and trying to grab hold of the top only to fall short. She had hit a dead end, her blue eyes flickering to either side to try and figure out an alternate path. At the rustling of bushes behind her she turned and drew several arrows at once, letting loose a barrage that tore into the chests and heads of two short but stout Peacekeeper goons and one of their female casters. As she went to draw another arrow while the bodies hit the ground with dull thuds, she caught sight of the marksman that had grazed her face with his own attack, just as a piercing white-hot pain tore through the palm of her right-hand. Eyes wide in shock and surprise, she saw the arrow pierced through her hand moments before the pain finally registered, a rough cry escaping her lips. Before she could even drop her longbow to try and remove the arrow, a massive fist latched onto her neck and slammed her up against the cliff face, one of the brutish enforcers glaring up at her as it growled savagely behind its mask.

"Hey, easy, easy… we don't want to kill her just yet," the marksman spoke up as he walked forward, a smug smirk on his gaunt face. "This is the one Inquisitor Toriimo told us about, that Ascalonian scum who took down the inner council with her little band of allies. I bet if we bring her back alive, we'll get a nice little payment in platinum… since she's one of the reasons those Shining Blade idiots weren't wiped out a few years back."

Grunting and squirming futilely against the enforcer's steel grip, she gasped in pain as she was slammed back against the rocky wall again and again until she was too dazed to struggle. That was when the enforcer dropped her to the ground, grumbling something behind his mask before stepping back for the gang's leader to get a good view of her. "You're… treacherous cowards," she grunted with a deadly glare, trying to catch her breath and get her bearings straight. "A blight upon these lands… you'll pay for your crimes against the innocent."

"Oh really? And who's going to make us pay, you?" He notched another arrow, although didn't immediately aim or let it loose. "Maybe we should teach you a little lesson like we did with that peasant woman back there… after all, we don't have to bring you back completely unharmed."

"Lay one hand on me and I'll rip it off!" she spat defiantly, causing a savage grin to cross the marksman's face.

"Even when outnumbered, you still act all cocky. I wonder how long that'll last." He licked his lips now as he aimed with his bow, preparing to send the arrow into her leg. That was when the sickening sound of ripping flesh filled the air, a sound she had long grown accustomed to due to her time with necromancer allies. She saw the flesh golem that towered over the Peacekeeper before he did, the smug expression on his face vanishing in an instant. Before he could even turn to look over his shoulder, the flesh golem brought down the wicked cleaver of bone that was its right arm, tearing into the Peacekeeper.

She sat there in a bit of a daze, watching as smaller bone minions were created two at a time from the remaining Peacekeeper corpses she had created with her last attack. Now the tables had turned, with the hunters being hunted by the undead minions. But who was it who had created the creatures?

"You know, I thought you'd be a bit more careful when dealing with these bandits. It's not like you to make beginner's mistakes… Danielle Roivas."

Her gaze darted to the side as she noticed a person jump down from the cliff she had failed to scale up, a woman with the tanned skin of a Krytan and whose dark red hair matched her rather revealing outfit. "Livia?"

"As nice as catching up will be… perhaps it'd be best to deal with these common thieves first?" The Shining Blade necromancer turned her gaze to the Peacekeepers, who had recovered and dealt with the undead minions. "Can you use your hand?"

Danielle grunted, releasing her bow to work on removing the arrow. The pain wasn't as severe as it could be; she knew that from experience when dealing with elementalists who enjoyed setting their opponents on fire _very _often. It would just be better if there was a healer around. "Not as best as I could, but I'll make do."

Livia nodded, turning her cold gaze towards the Peacekeepers as she raised another flesh golem from one of the fallen. "Just hold on long enough."

"Please tell me you have your usual trick up your sleeve. I'd rather not die to my own stupidity." A slight flex of the injured hand brought a spike of pain, her teeth clenching immediately. She could barely move it, but it was possible she could still fight even with the handicap. Fighting for too long with such a handicap wasn't something she really wanted to do, and the ranger had even forgotten to take along her healing unguent that was an absolute necessity when venturing alone. Quickly glancing to the side to her ally and savior, she noticed a slight smirk on the Krytan's face.

"I'm never unprepared… unlike you."

_Owch. Should have seen that one coming…_

Drawing an arrow from her quiver on her back, her experience kicked in as she tried to push aside the pain and notch the projectile. The time for chatter was over, and even though two or three Peacekeepers remained, they wouldn't be so easy to take down. Of course, she was used to overwhelming odds. With an even breath, she raised her bow horizontally and took aim, eyes narrowing as she locked onto her target, a charging enforcer whose eyes carried a gaze of pure, undiluted rage.

_B__althazar bless my strength, teach my hands to war, and my fingers to fight._


	3. Convergence

((A/N: So uh... I'm wondering if anyone reads this... because I've gotten no faves or comments or anything... ;-; ))

"So Alex, what do you make of all this stuff going on in Kryta? With the White Mantle I mean. I find it odd to not hear from Dani for so long and then suddenly get asked to come help out with fighting. I mean, no visits or happy chit-chat? I find that rather rude. She could at least—"

"Devin, shut up!"

Two adventurers walked along the uneven dirt path that led from the small town of Beetletun in the northwestern section of Kryta towards Nebo Village. From there, they would have quite a long ways to go just to reach their destination of the Talmark Wilderness, a journey that had caused the male elementalist to complain considerably. The Cursed Lands and the Black Curtain, both sections of land that they would have to pass through, had gotten their rather unpleasant names for a reason. Despite all of Devin Sterling's bravado, he doubted their chances of making it through safely.

Standing a full foot taller than his monk companion, the elementalist actually looked rather intimidating in his current attire… at least if he didn't act like a fool all the time. His long, dark red and black robes trailed to the ground, the black cape behind him rising slightly with the slight breezes that flowed through the narrow passage between two small mountains. Devin's face was mostly hidden by his favored demon mask he had received a few years back during the Dragon Festival in Cantha, his dark brown eyes peering out from one of the two slits on the front. "Come on, you know I have a point," he prodded, his wooden staff with black wrappings and magical flames emanating from the tip resting on his shoulder. "She's your half-sister or something, right? Does she even go to Cantha just to say hi to you and spend some time visiting?"

"Honestly, Sterling, if you don't shut up I will shove my staff so far up your rear you're going to wish you were never born," Alexeldin Roivas hissed, a very annoyed glare on her face. She had spent the entire trip with Devin hearing his complaints and chatter, and it was getting to her. While the rather short monk looked anything but intimidating, her skill in smiting magic and temper spoke otherwise. To emphasize her point, she brandished her black steel staff, a token from defeating an undead creature during her trip to the Far Northern Shiverpeaks. Her own dark red outfit had been created by the Kurzicks, one of the two warring factions in her homeland that she sided with quite fiercely.

At this Devin cringed, taking a step away from his friend as they walked, knowing that she could be quite serious about the bodily harm she threatened to inflict. The thing about monks was that they could beat the living daylights out of a person, heal them, then repeat the process over again. "Are you really a monk? I thought that you guys were all supposed to heal and be peaceful and stuff." Instead of giving a verbal retort, Devin instead received a painful strike to the back of his head that very nearly sent him crashing face-first to the dirt. "Oww! What was that for!"

"Like I said, you're annoying. I'd almost rather Vekk's company to you. Even if he was a bit condescending, at least he didn't babble like an idiot."

Putting on a look of mock hurt (which was rather hidden by his mask), Devin playfully waved his staff at her while making sure to stay out of the way of any retaliatory blows again. "You don't have to be so mean you know. We're traveling companions, we'll be slaying dangerous monsters like living plants and stuff together on our quest to rendezvous with the savior of the world." Well, that last statement wasn't exactly a sarcastic one. Alexeldin's sister had been involved across continents helping with various problems… like the Lich Lord, Shiro Tagatchi, and the return of the fallen god Abaddon. But they had been right there with her, although Alex didn't join in on their adventures until they had traveled to Cantha.

_Now that I think about it, she's always been sticking her nose into other peoples' business and helping them out. I suppose it's a good thing she did. We ended up making a lot of friends and a lot of enemies… but hey, I ended up meeting her sister among other things. If only she didn't utterly hate me, things would be good._

"I wouldn't be so mean if you could at least hold your tongue for more than a few seconds," she retorted, turning her head so sharply that her ponytail whipped through the air. "Ugh, how did I get stuck with you."

Allowing a slight smirk, Devin decided to drop his playful taunting. He didn't want to make her too angry at him, or else he would be in for a chiding from her older sister. However, his typical smirk fell away when he spotted a curious lot further on down the row. About six hulking brutes had the entire row blocked, a goon in attire Devin just knew had to belong to a bandit standing in the middle of them with a spear held in one hand and shield in the other.

"Now this looks like trouble."

"You have such an amazing and inspiring grasp of the obvious, Devin," Alexeldin snorted, tapping her staff against her right boot lightly. "These have to be the ones Danielle warned us about in her letter… thugs of the worst sort, the Peacekeepers."

"Even worse than the Jade Brotherhood and Am Fah? I somehow find that hard to believe. Should we just try to find another route around?"

Alexeldin scanned the area, frowning as she saw that the narrow passage offered absolutely no other way to go. And with them already in sight of the little road blockade, she doubted they would be allowed to just turn and walk away, especially since every eye was on them. "We won't be able to. They've already seen us. Just whatever you do, shut up and don't make any of your stupid, witty comments."

Devin had to hold his tongue to resist mentioning that was the first time she had really called his comments "witty", especially since this wasn't the time. While he was a powerful elementalist, his chances of holding up to muscular brutes thrice his size armed with bloodied hammers was slim to none. He could bring the pain, as he liked to say, but one good hit would take him down. "Right, right… hope your negotiation skills are better than your healing skills."

With a piercing glare, Alexeldin had to hold herself back from outright knocking the cocky elementalist out. She tried to appear casual as she walked down the dirt path, although her knuckles were white as she grasped her staff. When the two were just a few feet from the line of Peacekeepers, the leader held up his spear towards them and motioned for them to halt. "And just where do you think you're going?"

"We have business in Nebo Village, good sir," Alexeldin responded, trying to fake being polite as best as she could. She knew the Peacekeeper didn't care, a scowl on his pale face.

"Show me your travel permit."

Devin flinched and Alexeldin curled her free hand into a fist. A travel permit? They hadn't been aware they even needed one. The last time they had been here, they were free to travel but just had to avoid being spotted by the White Mantle who had seen the wanted posters. A lot had changed in Kryta since then.

_And I see now why she warned us, too…_

"A permit? We don't have permits. We've never needed them to travel in Kryta before."

A cruel laugh escaped from the goon's mouth as he lazily spun his lance. "Times change, and if you don't have a permit, we have permission to arrest you. However…" He rested the lance on his shoulder, a savage grin that sent chills up Devin's spine spreading across his face. "For one time only, we have a little deal. You give us all your gold, and we'll let you through."

"Our gold is our own, and even if we did have some, we wouldn't hand it over to cowardly bandits like you."

"Uh, Alex, maybe antagonizing them is not the best of ideas?" Devin questioned in a murmur, seeing the seething rage that overcame the goon.

"Think you're so tough, eh?" He took several steps forward, suddenly raising the spear to where the spearhead pressed against Alexeldin's throat. "Well then… how about I just have fun with you instead, you pretty little thing. Teach you a lesson in respect."

The two brutes flanking him suddenly grabbed Alexeldin by her arms, a startled cry escaping from her lips and setting Devin off. "Get your filthy hands off of her!" he roared, gathering up his energy to prepare to cast. Before he could, however, one of the enforcers cut him off with a powerful blow with his hammer that sent Devin crashing to the dusty ground. He gasped for air, feeling sharp pain in his chest with each struggle to breathe. He heard Alexeldin cry his name as he rolled over and forced himself to his hands and knees, coughing harshly. When he looked back he could see the head Peacekeeper standing right in front of his friend, his lance stuck in the ground while he grasped her chin roughly in his fingers. Although he couldn't see Alex's face, he could picture her disgust and loathing in his mind.

"Get… away from me!" she shouted, enraged. Her left hand motioned swiftly, a circle of blue light briefly surrounding the goon before he was knocked down with a grunt of pain. Caught off guard by her sudden use of Bane Signet, the two enforcers let go of her and went to help their leader back up. As quickly as she could she jumped back to where Devin had stumbled to his feet and stood hunched over. "Are you okay?"

"Think… something cracked," he grunted. "Please tell me you can heal." For once, Alex actually had a guilty and apologetic look on her face as she glanced at him silently. "You're a monk… and you don't know a single healing spell!"

"Shut up, okay! I'm not good at them, I prefer to smite my enemies with holy spells, so I never tried to learn them!"

Devin stared at the now-recovered Peacekeeper goon, feeling the heat of energy rushing through his body. "Then pray to Dwayna we can kill these guys before they kill us!" As one of the enforcers went to step towards him, Devin flung his arms forward. The effects were nearly instantaneous as the brutes body was immolated by red-hot flames, causing his allies to back away from his body as it collapsed to the ground. While they were caught off-guard and clumped together, Alexeldin spun her staff and pointed it forward, a ray of burning white light shining down. The muffled cries of the enforcer caught in the middle as he burned alive rose over the shouted orders, and as the two companions backed away, the remaining four enforcers charging towards them with a speed one wouldn't expect with their hulking size.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon," Devin hissed under his breath, feeling exhaustion hit him from the sheer energy it took for his next spell. Flinging his arms forward, he watched in satisfaction as flaming meteors tore through the sky, slamming into the first pair of Peacekeepers. Their large bodies made the damage dealt from the meteor shower extra severe, the first collapsing with a gaping wound in his chest while the other was instantly killed with a strike to the head that pretty much obliterated it.

_Meteor Shower. Does the trick every—_

"Devin!"

His head snapped up at the sound of his name, just as a white hot pain slashed through his side. He looked down in surprise, dropping his staff as he tried to staunch the rush of crimson blood that erupted. He hadn't even seen the lead goon throw his spear, but he sure as heck felt it. Backpedalling, Devin tried to put distance between himself and the remaining two enforcers, but he wasn't nearly fast enough. The closest brute hunched over and slammed into Devin with his gauntleted forearm, the jagged spikes digging into his flesh before he was brutally flung away. Sent rolling for several feet, he came to a stop a ways back from Alexeldin, coughing and wrapping his arms about his injured midsection.

Alexeldin knew she couldn't single-handedly take down these guys. Even if she was a powerful smiting monk, she was still not exactly the best of fighters. She swiftly spun and rushed over to her fallen friend, turning him over to examine his wounds. What she saw made the blood drain from her face.

_Oh Dwayna, all this blood… if I don't do anything, he'll die!_

Panic gripped her heart as she shot a backwards glance over her shoulder, the hulking enforcers now towering over her. Before she could make a move, the nearest one latched his massive hand around her right arm, twisting sharply to elicit a scream of pain and force her to drop her staff. Tears of pain in her eyes, she glared up at her captor before turning her attention to the head goon. His satisfied smirk sickened her, but that hungry look in her eyes changed her anger to fear.

"Tch, tch, tch… how naughty of you to try and fight back like that." He had his spear in hand once more, Devin's blood dripping slowly from the tip. "How about for a little lesson, I finish off your friend here? Maybe I can make him scream like a baby."

The helpless monk tried to pull free, but another twist and a dull snap made her cry out sharply, her body trembling. "N-No… don't… don't kill him, please," she tried to plead, even though part of her knew it was hopeless to try and reason with them. They were nothing more than bloodthirsty, soulless bandits.

"You should have thought of that before you crossed us, 'sweetie'," he answered, venom dripping in his words. He turned now to the fallen Devin, raising up his spear to finish the job.

_Goddess Dwayna, please, help!_

There was a dull _thunk_, shock on the goon's face before he pitched forward to the ground, a single arrow jutting from the back of his skull. Both of the enforcers looked at each other in confusion, not really aware of what had just happened. For being powerful brutes, they definitely weren't the brightest. A rain of arrows suddenly fell, piercing into the thick flesh of the Peacekeepers and causing both of them to roar in pain. Alex hit the ground with a thud as she was dropped, watching in amazement as arrow after arrow hit the brutes until they finally fell. Her hand instinctively went to her staff as she crouched protectively near Devin, looking back to make sure he was still alive. At this rate, he would need a healer soon, or he wouldn't pull through.

_But who saved us…?_

She lifted her gaze towards where the arrows had come from, noticing a group of people atop the hill. They had come out from a seemingly abandoned stone house, most of them clad in the uniforms of the Shining Blade. Most of them carried bows and were unfamiliar faces, but one woman was a person Alexeldin was rather familiar with. The Krytan was clad in a white dress with a peculiar "hood" rising up behind her head, her gray eyes drifting to the injured Devin with concern. That was Evennia, one of the leaders of the Shining Blade. At the front of the band of rangers was a young woman clad in a new style of uniform Alexeldin hadn't seen before, dyed a deep pink. But even if the outfit was unfamiliar, the face was one she recognized anywhere. Smiling faintly, her eyes filled with relief behind her spectacles, was her older sister Danielle Roivas.


End file.
